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Garmin plans to keep on selling FR305

Whenever anyone starts to look at purchasing a GPS enabled watch, they invariably start with virtually all signs pointing towards the Forerunner 305 as a great starter watch.  The reason for this is partly due to the overwhelming number of FR305 users out there, but also because it was one of the first GPS watches in the market that actually looked the part of a watch (albeit large), versus the previous wrist-mounted units that looked like a small VW bus being strapped to your arm.

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But as with any electronics product, the FR305 has slowly been eclipsed by not only other Garmin products (namely the 310XT as the multi-sport tool of choice), but also other competitor offerings such as the Timex Global Trainer.  However, there’s one area that no GPS watch has surpassed the FR305 on:

Price.

The FR305 continues to be found for less than $150 at most major retailers, with the larger players getting the price down to sub-$130.  Even more – that’s with a HR strap included.  No rebates to mess with, no funky vendors pretending to be from Alabama, but are really from Albania.

Further, none of the other GPS watches that flirt with the sub-$200 price point include a heart rate strap.  Further, none of the other GPS watches out there in that price range feature as many of the multi-sport options as the FR305 does.  Specifically, the ability to utilize a quick release kit – as well as features like the speed/cadence sensor, and the running footpod (often excluded from basic GPS devices).

The Future

Last week during my conference call with the Garmin team, I discussed end of life on a few models.  The discussion started with the Edge 705 – which is being replaced by the Edge 800Back at Interbike, it was noted that the Edge 705 would start being phased out in the January 2011 timeframe, once the Edge 800 had fully fulfilled the retail channel.  Given the price point for the Edge 800 is the in same ballpark as the Edge 705, there’s very little reason to buy the 705 over the 800 – so this is logical.

I next moved to the FR305.  There’s been rumor after rumor that the FR305 was being pulled from the retail channel, so I specifically wanted clarity on when they planned to ‘retire’ it.

Their answer surprised me though.

They said that they had “no plans whatsoever” to discontinue the device. Further, they went onto say that the Forerunner 305 is “still hugely popular, and we’re selling a ton of them”.  A finer point was put on it when they noted that the FR305 continues to “sell like hotcakes”.

We discussed for a bit how the FR305 really fills the gap in Garmin’s overall GPS catchment strategy for sports devices.  It’s the cheapest GPS device they sell, and one that gets folks hooked into devices.  Their hope is they you enjoy the product enough to look at other Garmin athletic devices – or more advanced products such as the 310XT or a cycling-specific GPS device.

Their “hugely popular” statement continues to track with the page rankings I have on the site for GPS reviews that people view – with the FR305 Review leading the pack in page views, despite being the device being a bit older.

Deciding which model to choose

You may remember in my 2010 GPS Recommendations post I discuss which models are appropriate for which folks, and that advice hasn’t changed.  The only recommendations I’d make would be to swap out the FR110 and replace it with the FR210 – which I’ll look to update shortly.  I’ve been loving the FR210.

But, both of those devices are out of the price range of someone look at the FR305.  The FR305 is not only a powerhouse of a device…but it’s also a great entry watch for folks looking to get into either running or triathlon and train with GPS or heart rate technology.

To put a finer point on the HR piece – if you look at competing heart rate monitor technology from other vendors – namely Polar – none of those devices offer the ability to get per-second downloadable heart rate charts within that price range.  Those models offer ‘cumulative’ views, or essentially HR and time/distance averages – nothing that you can drill down to on a per-second basis.

Of course, one of the most common questions I get in e-mail continues to be: Should I get the FR305, or XYZ device?

As I discussed in the recommendations thread – I recommend across the board the FR305 in virtually every situation.  The only exceptions are the following:

1) Power Meter support: If you need bike power meter support, then you need the FR310XT or an Edge device (or any number of other vendor’s devices).  The FR305 simply doesn’t support it.

2) Full waterproofing: While the FR305 has enough waterproofing to last a strong rain, it won’t last extended submersion.

3) Longer than 10 hours of battery life:  The FR305 lasts about 10 hours on a good day, whereas the newer 310XT lasts 20 hours.  However, with a simple cheap adapter – you can easily make the FR305 last just about forever (easily 24-36 hours) – ideal for all you ultra runners.

4) You want something smaller: I know…small wrists.  While I still maintain that once you use the FR305 for about 30 seconds running, you’ll forget about its size, I understand folks want a more compact watch.  For that you’d need to look at the FR405/FR410 or the FR210.

That’s it.  For everyone else I’d recommend the FR305.  For the price, you simply can’t beat it.  Every sports software application out there supports it, and the device is rock-solid for the thousands upon thousands of users who rely on it.

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15 Comments

  1. good to hear they are keeping the 305 – i just bought one about 2 months ago to replace my adidas micoach. I debated the 305 vs 310XT but couldn’t justify the price difference… and i am very happy with the 305. and Garmin called it right – i am getting an Edge 500 for my bike because I like the GPS features so much for running!

  2. I’m pretty sure the 305 has been discontinued in Taiwan. I just tried to get one a few weeks ago. I tried three different stores, all of which called Garmin Taiwan. None of them could get the device. It has also recently disappeared from the Garmin Taiwan website.

    The Garmin Taiwan website also seems to be missing a lot of other devices available in other countries. No FR60, FR110, FR210, FR310XT, FR405CX, or FR410. In fact the only running device they have on the Taiwan website is the 405 (although I know for a fact you actually can get the FR310XT here).

    Despite both my new 305 and my Edge 705 being stamped “Made in Taiwan” on the back, it was extremely frustrating actually trying to buy them here. In the end I had to buy the 305 from Amazon US, have it shipped to a friend in the US, then have them send it over.

    And although I really wanted the 310XT, I have to say I’m very happy with the 305. I just couldn’t justify paying almost three times as much for the 310XT for a few extra features that I don’t really need for running, and am pretty sure I won’t miss.

  3. Glad to hear it. The 305 was the first GPS training device I purchased and it was the best training money I ever spent. I was a little disappointed to hear that they were going to discontinue it, but I am glad to hear they have no plans to do so. It is a very smart business decision on their part.

    Do you think the 305 is too bulky for a lady’s wrist or should I consider the 60 or 110? It is on my list for my wife this year. Keep up the good work on the blog!

  4. Smart move on Garmin’s part – I assume the R&D costs were covered long ago so the 305 will just keep bringing in cash and acting as the “entry drug” for better/more $ models.

    I love mine, although I recently bought an FR60 (got the entire package – watch, HR strap, footpod and ANT+ fob – for $90 – woot!) for treadmill use in the colder months.

    link to georgiatriathlete.blogspot.com

  5. Garmin Forerunner 405’s are 20% off all day at Pacer’s Old Town Alexandria on Black Friday 🙂

  6. Kaves

    Ray you can tell your friends at Garmin they got this one right! Bought my 305 last year because of the price point (also, thanks to your review – which is how I found your site)and just ordered my Edge 500. Will likely upgrade in the next year or so to the 310. Thanks for all the reviews and insight.

  7. Im so glad to hear that they’re keeping the 305 on market!! That’s the one I’ve started saving up for! 🙂

  8. It really is a workhorse! 4 years and still going strong!

  9. Anonymous

    Walmart.com has the 305 for $99 with free shipping. Deal probably won’t last too long.

  10. SeanInSD

    Is the heart rate monitor strap waterproof? Could I strap it on for the swim portion of a tri and then have my 305 pre-mounted on my bike?

  11. Yes, it’s waterproof. Most folks do as you describe – wear it under thier tri-top during the swim. It (the units) then automatically picks up the strap once you exit the water.

    I do it that way and it works great for me.

  12. SeanInSD

    Thanks for the great info and quick reply!

  13. Anonymous

    Just an FYI that Amazon is now selling a factory refurbished 305 WITH HR monitor for $99 while supplies last!

  14. This post is a bit old but here’s goes anyway: the 305 price range appears to be going up.

    I got mine in November 2010 for 120€ in amazon.co.uk. Currently, their are listing it at 220€, which is almost double, and both the 405 and 410 are cheaper.

    Do you know if this part of a strategy to bump the sales of the 4** models?

  15. Unfortunately they stopped making them roughly late last summer, thus the steady increase in price since around Thanksgiving.

    At prsent, the best bet for replacement is the Timex Global Trainer (about $135 these days), or on the Garmin side, the cheaper Garmin FR210 (the FR110 is slightly cheaper, but I don’t recommend it over the FR210 due to lack of footpod and seperately, instant-pace).

    Also, check out the Timex Run Trainer review for all the latest options and most comparative units.

    Hope this helps!